1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to methods and apparatus for transporting checks, billing stubs, papers, documents and other sheets, and to sheet feeder systems.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following disclosure statement is made pursuant to the duty of disclosure imposed by law and formulated in 37 CFR 1.56 (a). No representation is hereby made that information thus disclosed in fact constitutes prior art, inasmuch as 37 CFR 1.56 (a) relies on a materiality concept which depends on uncertain and inevitably subjective elements of substantial likelihood and reasonableness and inasmuch as a growing attitude appears to require citation of material which might lead to a discovery of pertinent material though not necessarily being of itself pertinent. Also, the following comments contain conclusions and observations which have only been drawn or become apparent after conception of the subject invention or which contrast the subject invention or its merits against the background of developments which may be subsequent in time or priority.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,135, issued Aug. 6, 1985, for a jammed sheet removal aid in a reproducing machine, by Laurence S. Barker, discloses a sheet transport including a number of endless belts each having a metal strip in juxtaposition therewith for securing advancing sheets to the associated belt. Each metal strip has an upturned portion at an end thereof and is releasable to a spaced condition from the associated belt, whereby a jammed sheet may readily be removed from the transport system.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,453, issued Dec. 21, 1976, for sheet conveyor apparatus, by Wilfried Dorer, discloses a sheet conveyor including an endless belt having a lower run. Coacting with that lower run is a series of rotatable guides having their axes of rotation located on a common arc.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,516, issued Jan. 21, 1975, for apparatus for feeding sheets into a punching machine, by Tadao Inose et al, discloses an array of rollers pressing against the sheet carrying surfaces of conveyor belts. A frame, which carries the rollers, is pivotally mounted for movement between engaged and disengaged positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,786,343, issued Dec. 23, 1930, for a universal drag conveyor, by Francis Griffith, proposed the use of bent and twisted channels or troughs for transporting sheets with the aid of conveyor belts.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,383, issued May 9, 1972, for document handling apparatus, by Douglas I. Morrison, discloses curved sheet guide plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,028,236, issued Jan. 21, 1936, to John T. Needham, disclosed a conveyor system in which sheets were dragged by conveyor belts along ribbed metal guides having downturned sheet entry and exit portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,123, issued Mar. 25, 1958, for feed roll sheet feeding apparatus, by Delphis V. Guillemette, disclosed the provision of a grate-like frame including rods or bars for preventing sheets from becoming lapped around adjaceht rollers and for removing static electricity from the sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,298, issued Dec. 7, 1982, for angular-linear sheet transports, by Rafn Stefansson et al, discloses a system of pivotal wheels for driving sheets along supporting surfaces and into registry with a registration edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,799, issued Apr. 30, 1985, for Bus System Architecture and Microprocessor System, by William H. Spencer et al, discloses remittance processing terminals and other document handling systems in which sheets are transported among various data transfer and processing stations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,179, issued Feb. 14, 1984, for transport channel systems, by Dwight G. Westover et al, discloses leaf springs for urging sheets into engagement with a conveyor belt, either via rollers engaging the sheets and having bearings mounted on the leaf springs, or through the formation of the leaf springs as resilient tracking elements engaging the sheets directly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,016, issued Apr. 29, 1980, for sheet stacking apparatus, by Richard W. Helmig et al, discloses a convex wall guiding a conveyor belt carrying sheets at the outside thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,467, issued Sept. 4, 1962, for stacker for intermixed documents of varying size, by Frank L. Fertig et al, discloses a document stacker system in which twisted guides direct documents diverted from the main feed path into stacker areas extending at acute angles thereto.